


Only the Brave Come Back

by Endangered_Slug



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: AU, F/M, Only Cowards Run remix, fluff!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-03
Updated: 2015-03-03
Packaged: 2018-03-16 02:19:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3470729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Endangered_Slug/pseuds/Endangered_Slug
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Anonymous prompted: What would happen in Only Cowards Run if Gold hadn't been stabbed, but came back to Storybrooke on his own.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Only the Brave Come Back

It was ten o'clock at night when the knock on her door came, startling Belle as she finished washing off her make up. She patted at her face with her sleeve, hurrying over to the door, tripping over her purse strap in her haste to answer it. No one ever came by this late at night. Not since Mr. Gold vanished from town two weeks ago without a trace. She'd left messages, she'd left note on his door, she'd wished on the evening star — a desperate act she hadn't done since she was a child of eight and her mother lay dying of cancer — and there was not a peep from him. She didn't know what to do any more. The police were unhelpful when she went to them with a missing persons report and Dove, his employee, refused to talk to her about it telling her that Gold would turn up in his own time.

She looked out the peephole to find the man himself standing on the stairway landing, looking down at several crumbled up sheets of paper in his hand. They were the notes she'd written, Belle realized.

He was back! And in so much trouble.

He looked up in surprise when she threw open the door with so much force it banged into the wall, rebounding back at her. She stopped it from hitting her with the flat of her hand, effectively barring him from coming in. She was so relieved that she wants to wrap herself around him, but so angry that she wanted to scream and she didn't know which to do first. His eyes were wide and panicked as he looked down at her. Surely he wasn't afraid of her? Surely this man, who could so disappear for days on end wasn't afraid of some easily dismissable librarian?

“Where have you been,” she bit out from between her teeth, feeling her face flush with anger. “You have been gone for days. I have left messages and notes and I called the police and there was not one word from you! I was so scared.”

He blinked at her, taken aback at her unusual rage. “I'm sorry, I didn't think anyone would really notice.”

She scoffed at him. “Well, I did. I see you every day, how could I not notice one of the most important people in my life just upped and disappeared?” She thumped the door in her exasperation.

“May I come in?” he asked, quietly, gesturing with the notes he held in his hand.

Belle sighed. She should send him on his way. It was late, she was emotionally drained, and she was in her pajamas, but she was curious. She needed to know why he disappeared like that. She lowered her arm off the door, feeling deflated. “Yes. Just... you have to tell me what happened. Are you okay?”

“I'm fine,” he said, carefully, gingerly walking around her, making sure no part of him touched any part of her. “I was visiting with my son.”

“Y-your son?” she asked, feeling gobsmacked. “I didn't know you had a son! Where is he? Why didn't you mention him before?” She rounded on him, starting to feel that irritation again because he'd kept such an important detail a secret. They spent all that time together and she was just now hearing about it! Unbelievable.

He gave her a wan smile. “We've been estranged. He didn't want me to talk to him... or acknowledge him, so I've been respecting his wishes. It wasn't easy,” he said with a rueful smile that didn't sit well on his face. He looked sad.

“And now you've suddenly decided to get into contact with him? How long have you been... estranged?”

“About ten years,” he said, wincing. “I just... I had a need to see him again. Things went well. Better than I could have asked for really.”

She wrapped her arms around herself, staring at him. “Well, that's a good thing, yeah?”

His lips twitched, giving his first almost-real smile. “Yeah. It's good.”

She bit her lip and nodded, feeling left out of this huge part of his life now. Still, she'd never been one to back down from anything. “So, why haven't you called me? I left so many messages.”

He flinched, taking a step back.“Yes, about that. I'm sorry. I didn't realize that you may have cared,” he said.

“ _May_ have? Mr. Gold—” she began.

“Bae is twenty-seven,” he said, interrupting her. “He's getting married soon.”

Her brow furrowed in thought. “Well, that's good, too. You've got your son back and now a daughter and maybe grandkids. This is all good things happening.”

“It is,” he said, nodding his head, staring at his hands, unable to meet her eyes. “It's good. It makes me happy to see him happy. And he's agreed to let me back in. I couldn't ask for any more really.” He glanced at her before lowering his eyes once more.

“I hope I'll get a chance to meet them,” she said.

He heaved a sigh, letting it out in one shaky breath. “Yeah, that's probably not happening.”

“Why not? Surely he'll visit you at some point,” she said, feeling a bubble of panic well up at the sight of the defeated slump of his shoulders. “You said the visit went well. Why wouldn't he come?”

“Because there's no need for hims to come up. I've decided to move to New York. I've let this estrangement go on too long and now I think it would be best if I was closer.”

Belle clutched at her stomach, that bubble of panic turning into a ball of lead. “You're-you're moving? But—”

“ I'm not getting any younger,” he said with a shrug, not looking at her directly. “I should try to make amends while I can.”

“Is that what this is about?” she asked, suddenly. She huffed out a laugh at the ridiculous of it all.

He shook his head slightly. “Is that what what is about?”

“Are you concerned about your age? Did you think that it would matter to me?” Of all the stupid things she'd heard of...

“Oh, you mean the fact that I'm old enough to be your father?” he asked, bitterly.

“That's not true. Well, biologically speaking, yes, you are technically old enough, but, biologically speaking, so is Dr. Hopper and Leroy.”

“What are you saying?”

“I'm saying, you're... not too old for me. Unless, the problem is that I'm too young for you, in which case,” she swallowed. “In which case, I wish I'd known sooner.”

“You're not too young,” he whispered, glancing up at her from underneath his hair, shaking it out of his face.

“Then what is it?”

“I'm...” he took a shaky breath and let it out slowly. “I'm scared.”

“Of what?” she asked, incredulously. “Of me?” She might have laughed if he wasn't so serious about it. What could he possibly be scared of?

He looked at her, wide-eyed and shivering. “ _Terrified_ ,” he whispered, hoarsely.

“Why? I would never hurt you. I _love_ you!” She gasped once it came out – this truth she'd been staring at for weeks. She gaped at him in the shock of her admission before giving a small laugh, feeling a bit mad. “I'm just disappointed you don't feel the same,” she said, sadly.

The scared look was gone in an instant, replaced with a look of soft wonder. “Oh, Belle!” He reached out with a trembling hand and stroked her hand. “Belle, I don't—”

"I know.” She nodded, biting back the tears that threatened to fall. “It's fine. I never expected you to love me—I didn't...” She gave him a watery smile. “You found your family again and I'm happy for you, I really am. And, I'm going to miss you when you leave.”

He took three steps, stumbling when his cane hit the leg of her armchair. “Say it again,” he said, grasping her chin gently, tilting her face until she was looking up into his brown, soulful eyes. He was gazing at her with unconcealed hope and Belle wanted nothing more than to kiss him “Please. I can't believe you're real.”

Belle blinked, trying to focus on what was happening. He was just so close and he smelled so good... “I'm... going to miss you?”

“No,” he said, shaking his head and giving her a crooked smile. “The other thing. The really important thing that you just said.”

Belle stared at him in confusion before realization struck. “I love you,” she whispered. “I love you.”

He closed his eyes in relief, as if a terrible pain had just eased. “Yes, Belle. Yes.” He embraced her, holding her close as if she was something precious. Belle wrapped her arms around him, clutching at his suit jacket to keep him with her. “And I love you, too,” he murmured into her hair.

His breath was hot against her ear and if she turned her head she would just be able to catch his lips. He loved her! He said so! He—

“Wait. You do?” she asked, pulling back. “Why haven't you told me?”

He pushed a lock of hair off her face, tucking it behind her ear. “I didn't think you would ever love me back. I'm—”

Belle lay her forehead against his shoulder, laughing silently. “You're a stubborn man, Mr. Gold.”

“I'm your stubborn man, Miss French. If you'll have me,” he said, raking his fingers through her hair, cradling the back of her head gently.

She looked up at him, in surprise, understanding now. “Yes, I'll have you,” she said, with a small smile, standing on her tiptoes and murmured against his lips. “Forever.”


End file.
